Jemele Hill is set to exit ESPN’s “SportsCenter” after her February 2 show, TheWrap has confirmed. We’re told it was her decision to depart “SC6,” which is the shorthand title for her’s and co-anchor Michael Smith’s individually branded installment of ESPN’s flagship news and highlights show.

Her departure from the program will make the 6 p.m. show a solo act for her Smith, something he did a bit in the fall when Hill was suspended by her employer over a pair of social media guidelines violations. More on that below.

Hill will stay with the self-proclaimed “Worldwide Leader in Sports” to write for ESPN.com and The Undefeated, an insider told TheWrap. Plus, there is an option on the table to revive Hill and Smith’s “His & Hers” podcast, and the “Hers” side of that duo will host town halls and other Undefeated events and specials on the network.

“There is an old adage that says, the heart wants what it wants,” Hill, who still has multiple years on her contract, said later on Friday. “I started at ESPN 11 years ago as a columnist and while I have worn many hats in the time since, my true love always has been writing, reporting and commentary. While I have grown in every way imaginable this last year on the 6 p.m. ‘SportsCenter,’ deep down I knew it wasn’t my calling. I approached (ESPN Executive Vice President, Content) Connor Schell recently and asked if they would consider re-thinking my role. And as has been the case throughout my 11 years at this company, ESPN graciously worked with me to determine the best way for me to continue to do meaningful work.

“My first choice was to work with The Undefeated, a site that covers the intersection of race, African-American culture and sports in creative and compelling ways,” she continued. “I admire, trust and have unconditional respect for (ESPN Senior Vice President & Editor-in-Chief) Kevin Merida and The Undefeated staff. I have no doubt we will create amazing content together. I’m also thankful to Connor for not only hearing my request, but being immensely supportive throughout this process. I have longed for some time to return to my roots, so to speak. I’m ecstatic to be in such a supportive environment to explore the next phase in my career.

“I’d also like to thank my co-host Michael Smith for his encouragement, generosity and support,” Hill concluded her statement. “I will be cheering him on as the 6 p.m. ‘SportsCenter’ evolves with him as lead anchor. The ‘SC6’ staff also has my utmost gratitude and affection. Thank you for your hard work and contributions.”

Smith added: “Jemele and I created something special, and I will always be proud of her and our work together. She will continue to do amazing things here at ESPN. I am honored to be part of the next iteration of American sports television’s signature brand — ‘SportsCenter.'”

Last year, Hill was sent to the Disney company’s bench after some unkind tweets about President Trump and his supporters. Though the straw that really broke her on-air streak was when Hill used Twitter to call for a boycott of Dallas Cowboys-advertisers after team owner Jerry Jones demanded his players stand for the national anthem or be benched. That didn’t go over well with her employer.

“Jemele Hill has been suspended for two weeks for a second violation of our social media guidelines,” ESPN said in a statement back then. “She previously acknowledged letting her colleagues and company do with an impulsive tweet.”

John Skipper Fallout: 9 Possible Replacements to Run ESPN (Photos)

ESPN president John Skipper announced his resignation from the Disney-owned Worldwide Leader in Sports on Monday, citing a "substance addiction" struggle.

While the 61-year-old executive takes care of his personal issues, it is the problem of Disney chairman Bob Iger and interim ESPN president George Bodenheimer to find a replacement for Skipper. In the spirit of the holidays, TheWrap did most of the legwork for those guys, identifying nine top possible successors to interview for the post. Scroll through to gallery to see them all.

Former president of ESPN turned current interim president of ESPN turned future president of ESPN? The guy who handed his job over to Skipper is assuming the role until he and Bob Iger find a suitable successor. You know, or until they give up and the 59-year-old Bodenheimer gives ESPN his life again. You have to consider Bodenheimer on a list like this, though he's pretty much a retiree already.

How many promotions can one guy take? Schell was just upped in June to ESPN's Executive Vice President of Content, where he is responsible for overseeing all aspects of ESPN’s content creation across television, digital and print platforms. That said, he lacks some business-side experience and needs a bit of polish to be the public face of ESPN. But he does have an Oscar.

The EVP, affiliate sales and marketing, Disney & ESPN Media Networks is actually the likely frontrunner for the Worldwide Leaders in Sports' top job -- or at least that's what we're told the current rumblings inside ESPN state. After all, he graduated from Harvard -- twice. Go ahead and get a jumpstart on his new business cards.

Although ESPN is hyperaware of the optics of hiring another white man for the job, the female ESPN CFO probably doesn't actually have enough content experience for the job. Skipper's old post also requires a bit of glad-handing, which we're told isn't exactly Driessen's strong suit.

David Preschlack: The NBC Sports Regional Networks president is an ESPN alum -- and what he used to work on there may be as valuable as what Preschlack manages now. At ESPN, Preschlack handled oversight of content distributed on computers, smartphones, tablets and connected devices -- he also oversaw the U.S. cable, telco and satellite affiliate sales, global distribution and strategy, digital video distribution and affiliate marketing. Now he's got 9 RSNs under his thumb. Considering ESPN-owner Disney just bought 22 of those in the Fox deal...

Another female candidate! (Unfortunately, as you'll notice by the end of this gallery, no people of color on the current list.) Facebook COO Sandberg has a great tech background, obviously, and she also sits on the Disney advisory board -- so there are ties here. Anyone could learn sports, right? This job is more about tech, digital and mobile than you may think.

Wait -- tech and sports? I mean, come on. The Amazon alum is currently the CEO of BAMTech, the digital media company spun off by Major League Baseball’s MLB Advanced Media. Guess which rich cartoon mouse owns part of BAMTech? Yep, that one.

The president of Fox Sports Regional Networks may be headed in Disney's direction anyway. Krolik currently oversees the day-to-day operations of Fox Sports’ 22 regional sports networks, the largest such RSN group in the country. That group is going to Disney as part of the mega Fox deal -- presumably, so is he. It stands to reason that the folks at the un-sold Fox Sports 1 channel will stay put, but he might have a different story.

From in-house execs and alums to total outsiders, TheWrap has narrowed down Bob Iger’s Christmas — err, interview — list

ESPN president John Skipper announced his resignation from the Disney-owned Worldwide Leader in Sports on Monday, citing a "substance addiction" struggle.

While the 61-year-old executive takes care of his personal issues, it is the problem of Disney chairman Bob Iger and interim ESPN president George Bodenheimer to find a replacement for Skipper. In the spirit of the holidays, TheWrap did most of the legwork for those guys, identifying nine top possible successors to interview for the post. Scroll through to gallery to see them all.